The Dodge Viper had four long generations spanning from 1992-2010. There were actually no 2010 models, only extended 2009 models, and 2011 saw zero production Vipers at all. Dodge is planning on picking up the Viper once again in 2012 with a fresh look and feel.
The Viper came in two different trims: the SRT10 and the ACR. The 8.4L V10 powered Viper delivered 600 HP and 560 lb-ft of torque, and was mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The 0-60mph sprint was done in fewer than four seconds, while the quarter mile came in at 11 seconds. Careful with this one though, it doesn’t come with electronic stability control.
Dodge Brand President and CEO Ralph Gilles is behind the wheel of a Dodge Viper ACR-X in this video taken at the Virgina International Raceway. This video shows Gilles reaching 165 mph in around 1 minute and 35 seconds, while Powertrain Communications Manager Nick Cappa shoots the video and holds on for dear life.
The special edition Dodge Viper ACR-X is powered by the same SRT developed 8.4 Liter V10 as the standard super car, except that a set of factory tuned headers and a less restrictive exhaust system give the ACR-X a 40 HP kick in the pants meaning that there is a total of 640 HP on tap. Combine that with a weight savings of 160 pounds despite the addition of a roll cage and you’ve got an even more challenging track ready machine. The car is priced at $110,000.
This car look familiar to any of you? Okay, it’s not so much the car – that’s a Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR-X - as it is the livery that it comes in. If you’re having trouble racking your brains, then we’ll save you the trouble.
The racing livery this Viper comes in is almost identical to the one that artist Jeff Koons used for his BMW M3 GT2 Art Car that participated at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans just last month. Even better, at least for this Viper ACR-X, this one fared much better than the original, winning the inaugural Dodge Viper Cup at the Virginia International Raceway over the weekend.
Driven by racer Ben Keating, the Art Car-looking Viper ACR-X finished first in the flag to flag race, culminating in a photo finish with the second place vehicle driven by Jeff Courtney.
We don’t know what the boys from BMW are feeling since the livery of their Art Car has already spawned an imitation. And the best part is, the livery copycat already did what the original couldn’t do: win a race.
The Dodge Viper just saw it end as the last one rolled off the production line earlier this month, but that doesn’t mean the sports car isn’t going to go out in a bang. This bang will come in the form of a special Cup Series that will start tomorrow at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, Va. and will continue through the entire summer. The series will finally end on October 24 when the race will finish at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, in Pahrump, NV.
At this weekend’s race there will be 12 Dodge Viper ACR-X race cars that are signed up and ready to race. The winner of this competition will receive a prize of $7,500.
"The Dodge Viper ACR-X is designed and built specifically for the race track," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. "Now with VERSUS on board, race fans will have the opportunity to see our untamed and unmatched road-racing machine along with some of our talented Viper owner/drivers compete on five of the best road courses in the county as part of the Dodge Viper Cup series."
It’s time to say goodbye to the current generation Dodge Viper. The last unit rolled out of the production plant in Detroit and rolled into the garage of D’Ann Rauh, who by the way has an impressive collection of 40 Dodge Vipers - the largest personal collection of Vipers in the world.
She opted for a custom bronzed gold exterior paint and a custom interior that features various leather appointments, which were crafted by Tony Spampinito from Venzano. The exterior is also decorated with custom-painted copper stripes applied by Prefix and five-spoke forged-aluminum wheels custom painted in dark graphite.
We have to remind you that the next generation Dodge Viper is expected to be unveiled in 2012. Rumors are saying that the next generation Viper will use a V10 version of the next-generation corporate V-8. This 90-degree engine would be modular from top to bottom as well as cylinder to cylinder. The centerpiece of the engine will be a flat-plane crankshaft from the Ferrari style V8; whereas a conventional cross-plane crankshaft is used for other FIAT variations, like the Maserati V8.
During a conference room table in Chrysler Group LLC’s headquarters, Ralph Gilles talked about Dodge’s future. According to him, the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is just the beginning. It will be followed by a slew of new or redesigned vehicles.
He said that the new Charger and a new crossover will arrive this fall while a new Durango will arrive this November, but most likely featuring a new name. A new Viper is also a possibility for 2012, so it seems the company has "a lot going on." For the new Charger the company is looking to get "a higher-power version of the Pentastar V-6 with unique power rating."
"The brand is becoming hipper already. And the brand is getting controversial, in a good way. We’re really starting to smell different, act different. We showed up a few weeks ago at the super bike event in Utah. We had a drift competition and hundreds, thousands of people were lining up for these thrill rides."
